Drop bottom container for container cars



Feb. 9, 1937. G, c WOODRUFF 2,070,348

DROP BOTTOMCONTAINBR FOR CONTAINER CARS Filed June 27, 1955 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 JHIIHIIIIIHM llllllllllllllh A TT ORNE Y 1937- G, c. WOODRUFF DROP BOTTOM CONTAINER FOR CONTAINER CARS 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 27, 1935 INVENTOR wfiw 6 a BY m ATTORNEY Feb. 9, 1937. G. c. WOODRUFF DROP BOTTOM CONTAINER FOR CONTAINER CARS Filed June 27, 1935 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 a 6 C INVENTOR 5 A TT ORNE Y Feb. 9, 1937.

G. c. WOODRUFF DROP BOTTOM CONTAINER FOR CONTAINER CARS Filed June 27, 1955 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 A TTORNEY Feb. 9, 1937. c WOQDRUFF' 2,070,348

DROP BOTTOM CONTAINER FOR CONTAINER CARS Filed June 27, 1935 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 Z CQINVENTOR ATTORNEY 1937- G. c. WOODRUFF DROP BOTTOM CONTAINER FOR CONTAINER CARS Filed June 27, 1935 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 ag ro.

6 IN VENTOR 16% A TTORNEY Feb. 9, 1937. c WQODRUFF 2,070,348

DROP BOTTOM CONTAINER FOR CONTAINER CARS Filed June 27, 1955 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 Q C a INVENTOR /W A TTORNEY Feb. 9, 1937.

G. c. WOODRUFF 2,070,348 DROP BOTTOM CONTAINER FOR CONTAINER CARS Filed June 27, 1935 9 Sheets-Shed 8 LL] l I J l i f A f /"I u i W! 1 I J 1 I I! l L I, I l I I I I flhl. I I a V q I, I

A TTORNEY Feb. 9, 1937. c WOQDRUFF 2,070,348

DROP BOTTOM CONTAINER FOR CONTAINER CARS Filed June 27, 1935 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTOR 0 ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 9, 1937" UNITED STATES DROP BOTTOM CONTAINER. FOR CONTAINER CARS Graham 0. Woodrufi, Bronxville, N. Y., assignor to The L. C. L. Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application June 27, 1935, Serial No. 28,742

9 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in containers for use in connection with container cars, and particularly to a novel construction of container of the drop bottom type adapted for the transportation of materials in bulk and from which the load of material is discharged en masse upon the opening of the drop bottom thereof.

The main object of the invention is to provide a self-clearing drop bottom container with smooth interior surfaces, sides which slope outwardly from top to bottom, and doors which swing back out of the way so as not to restrict the discharge of the lading, for handling bulk commodities, such as ores and other materials, which are liable to pack or become frozen in transit, rendering them difiicult of removal from a drop '.,bottom container of the usual type formed with perpendicular sides.

A further object of the invention is to provide a self-clearing container of this type which is solidly constructed and substantially braced at its base to hold a load of weighty material without liability of distortion or collapse, and in which the hinge mountings of the drop doors are so disposed as to be arranged out of the path of the discharge material so as to be effectually protected against clogging or injury by particles of the material and so as to adapt the doors to swing open to a clear position so as not to interfere with the discharge of the load.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a drop side container constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section thereof.

Fig. 3 is a view partly in end elevation and partly in vertical transverse section of the container.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the base of the container taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a similar view through the upper por-' line 8-8 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail section taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail section taken on line l&l0 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 11 is a part side elevation and part longi- 5 tudinal section of a container having a modified form of base or sill portion.

Fig. 12 is a part end elevation and part vertical transverse section of the container shown in Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary end elevation on an enlarged scale of the container shown in Figs. 11 and 12.

Fig. 14 is an enlargement of the portion of the container shown in detail transverse section in 15 Fig. 12.

Fig. 15 is an enlarged detail section taken substantially on line |5l5 of Fig. 13.

In carrying my invention into practice, as shown in Figs. 1 to 10, inclusive, I provide a container l of generally rectangular or oblong rectangular form in plan and horizontal section, that shown being generally of oblong rectangular form in plan and embodying side walls 2, end walls 3 and a top wall 4, the bottom of said container being fully open to form an outlet 5 for the en masse discharge of the lading when desired, said outlet being normally closed by drop doors 6. The top wall of the container is provided with a filling opening 1, through which the lading is suitably introduced, which opening is normally closed by hinged doors 8.

The side and end walls of the container slope outwardly and downwardly from the top to the bottom of the container, thus providing a container which is wider at bottom than top and is of flaring form and whose lading space progressively increases in area, i. e., width and length from bottom to top, the said walls being internally smooth and the drop doors 6 being mounted to swing to open position for a dumping action out of the line of discharge of the lading, as hereinafter described, so that there will be no obstacles or resistance to the discharge of the lading and the weight of the lading itself will effect its discharge with a self-clearing action. Pro-vision is thus made for securing a ready and free and practically instantaneous discharge of the lading upon the dropping of the doors 6, a very desirable and valuable feature in the bulk transportation of various commodities, such as ores, cement, etc., which are liable to pack or become frozen in transit, rendering them difiicult of discharge from a drop bottom container of usual type and having perpendicular walls.

Steel top or roof sheets 4.

steel angle metal corner posts 9 connected at their upper ends by pressed steel angle side and end plates I0 and II respectively, and connected at their lower ends by pressed steel Z-shaped side sill plates l2 and pressed steel angle end sill plates [3. Each end wall of the container body preferably consists of a single flat 0. H. steel sheet lying at'its upper edge between the downturned flange of the associated end plate II and the adjacent flanges of the associated corner posts 9 and welded or riveted thereto. Each side wall of the container is preferably made of two fiat O. H. steel sheets divided vertically at the 'cent'erjof its side of the container body, said sheets having their upper edges lying between the side plates Ill and the associated fianges'of the corner posts 9 and riveted or welded thereto. The ends of the side and end plates l6 and I l are mitred and welded or otherwise secured together, and to the horizontal flanges IQ of said side and end plates are welded or riveted the outer edges of the O. H. The joint between the sheets of each side wall is reinforced by a pressed,

flanged channel-shaped O. H. steel stiifener l5 which extends vertically from the side plate H] to the side sill plate l2 on the outside of the. side sheets, said stiffener having its side edges or flanges lapping the side sheets and its ends lapping the'side plate and side sill. The joint between the side sheets of each side. wall is covered on the inside by an O. H. steel splice plate l6 extendingfro'm side plate to side sill and lapping the sheets and'plates. The stiffener, splice plate and side sheets are united by rivets or by welding.

The vertical portions or flanges of the end sill plates 13 and the upper vertical portions or flanges of the side sill plates l2 are sloped or inclined at the same angle as the end and side wall sheets and the adjacent edges of the end and side sill plates are. mitred and Welded to each other and to the corner posts, as shown at ll. The horizontal flanges of the sill plates l2 and l3 extend outwardly beyond the plane of the end and side walls to a definite degree and the lower vertical flanges of the side sills extend below the horizontal flanges of said sills, to provide at the bottom of the container an' expanded or laterally offset supporting sill base. to rest upon the floor of the container car and give stable support to the container. This construction of the base sill also provides a door receiving chamber or compartment which extends at all sides beyond the. discharge outlet 5 and which is adapted to receive and house the drop doors 6 when in closed position. The doors 6, as shown, are hinged at their relatively outer side edges to the lower vertical flanges of the side sill plates, as indicated at [8, and the upper surfaces of the marginal portions of the doors are. adapted to close against the horizontal portions of the end and side sill plates so as to securely seal the outlet at such points against the escape of the lading. This construction provides a door receiving base compartment which is open or devoid of side. walls at the end of the container, but provided with side walls at the sides of the container formed by the depending lower flanges of the side sill plates, to whichside walls the'hinges of the doors are connected, whereby suchhinges are arranged to lie outwardly beyond the sides of the. discharge outlet and'therefore out of the path of the discharging lading, so that the hinges are protected from becoming choked or boundby particles of the lading or from being injured thereby. By this construc- The framing of the container comprises pressed tion of the base of the container the doors are mounted so that they swing to an open position for a discharge action outwardly beyond the plane of the side walls of the. container and of the sides of the discharge opening, and therefore out of the way of the discharging lading, allowing the lading to have free discharge without interference therefrom. At all points other than those mentionedthe container walls and corner posts may be united by welding or riveting so that the strength and durability of the container as a whole may be increased and all joints or crevices tightly closed. When rivets are used to unite the Wall sheets to the framing and stiffening parts, the heads of the rivets on the inside will be countersunk.

The container may be filled in any suitable manner through its top opening, and the doors 8 for closing this opening may be of any suitable construction for the purpose. This top opening for loading may be of any size up to the full inside dimensions of the container, depending upon the character of the commodity to be handled, and, while hinged doors are shown, doors or hatch covers of any suitable type may be provided and these may be adapted to be tightly sealed and waterproofed for the protection of the lading, if desired. The bottom drop doors may also be of any suitable form and construction and adapted to seal the discharge opening against ingress of either air or moisture to the container, so that certain kinds of materials to be transported in bulk, such as cement, may be protected while in transit against the action of the elements.

A forged steel lifting link I 9, of suitable form, is secured to the top of each corner post to provide means for lifting the container by a crane or similar lifting device. Pressed steel double or twin type guide shoes 20, of suitable form, mounted on pressed steel supports secured to the container side sills and corner posts, at two diagonally opposite corners of the four corners of the container, are provided, and two guide shoes 2|, of ordinary single type, may be similarly mounted at the other two diagonally opposite corners of the container, orany other construction and arrangement of guide shoes may be employed for engagement with guides attached to car side, which in combination with engagement or interlocking of guides on adjacent containers provides means for guiding the container while being lowered into or raised from a container car and for properly positioning the container in the 'car and holding same against shifting in transit.

The drop doors 6 are provided at their swinging edges with eye bolts or other connecting elements 22 towhich are attached the lower ends of door operating cables, chains or the like 23 which extend from above downwardly through pressed steel guide housings 24 secured to the outer faces of the end walls of, the containers, said cables being arranged in pairs andthe cables of each pair being looped around or otherwise connected with an equalizing thimble 25, which thimbles may be employed in connection with control elements of a crane or other lifting device to hold the doors closed and to release them for opening movement at proper time periods. The upper end of each cable housing is reinforced by a cast steel cap 26 riveted to the horizontal flange of the adjacent end plate and welded to the top edge of the housing. This cap forms a guide for the door operating cables and provides a contacting surface for the equalizing thimble 25 when the doors are in the full open position. The horizontal flange of each end sill, as shown, is cut away for the width of the cable housing so as not to interfere with the door operating cables. By this mode of mounting the drop door lifting and controlling cables the cables and their guides are arranged wholly on the outside of the container, so there is no contact at any time between the cables and their guides and the lading, or liability of interference of either with the other. The top wall sheets of the container, where riveted to the side and end plates, may be reinforced'with a commercial angle 21 extending between the side plates, so as to secure a proper degree of strength and stiffness at these points. The doors8 when closed contact;v the container side plates and the edges of the roof sheets, and when open swing back out of the way and rest on the lifting links.

It will be obvious from the foregoing description that the described form and construction of the container body with sloping sides, and the door arrangement set forth, provides a container which is self-clearing in the strictest sense, as the discharge opening is unrestricted, the container interior is smooth and the lading will naturally fall away from the outwardly sloping sides as soon as the drop doors are opened, thus obviating the objection to containers of that type having perpendicular walls and enabling bulk materials of a kind tending to pack or to be frozen in transit to be released and discharged with ease and facility.

In Figs. 11 to 15, inclusive, I have shown a modified construction of sill structure for the container and a modified structure of the drop doors wherein the arrangement is such as to protect the lading against the entrance of moisture in inclement weather through the discharge outlet. As shown, both the side sills [2a and the end sills I3a in this structure are provided with deepened vertical flanges |2b and l3b, respectively, to form a bottom compartment of increased depth to receive and house the drop doors 6a. Each door is secured to the vertical flange of a side sill by two or morehinges, each consisting of a cast steel butt 28 rivetted to the inside face of the vertical flange of the side sill, and a hinge strap 29 riveted to the door. Each door is reinforced with a commercial steel Z-bar 30 extending the full length of the door and riveted thereto. Each end of each Z-bar is provided with a cast steel extension 3| riveted thereto, which extends downward and outward under the door flange and the vertical center portion of the container end sill. To the end of each cast steel extension is secured a drop forged eye bolt 32 for the attachment of the drop door operating cable or element. The construction described provides for the closing of the doors against the horizontal portions of the sills so that the closed doors will lie within the housing space formed by the deep depending flanges I21), 13b, thereby providing a guarding structure which will effectually prevent the entrance of moisture into the container across the top surfaces of the drop doors. The vertical flanges of the end sills of the container are cut away, as at 33, for a. short distance at the center of the container to permit the Z-bar extension castings to project outward beyond the door housing and under the cable housing for the attachment of the door operating cables thereto. By the described mounting of the hinges, and by making the horizontal portions of the sills of proper width, the drop doors are adapted to swing down vertically beneath the sills out of the way of the discharging load, as will be readily understood.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, the construction, mode of operation and advantages of the invention will be readily understood by those versed in the art without a further and extended description, and it will be seen that the invention provides a container of drop bottom type which is adapted for the transportation of bulk materials which are liable to pack tightly in transit or which contain a certain percentage of moisture, and are therefore liable to freeze in transit, so as to effect a freeing of the load under its weight and its free andunrestricted discharge in a self-clearing manner, thus obviating the stated objections to the use of drop bottom containers with perpendicular walls. When the container is intend-ed for the transportation of commodities, such as certain kinds of ores, which are not affected by moisture, it will not be necessary to make the top closure doors and bottom drop doors moisture tight, but in the transportation of other materials, such as lime, cement, etc., which must be protected from moisture while in transit, the doors may be constructed to seal the container in a water-tight manner. The door structures may, therefore, be modified as desired according to the intended use to which the container is to be put. Also, while the general construction of the container as herein disclosed is preferred, it will, of course, be understood that changes in the form, details of construction, arrangements and proportions of the parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

I claim:

1. A drop bottom container for container cars comprising a body having a top filling opening, a bottom discharge outlet and a load receiving chamber of progressively increasing internal area between its top and bottom and substantially coextensive in area at its bottom with the discharge outlet, the inner surfaces of the walls of the chamber being substantially smooth and devoid of obstructions between the filling opening and discharge outlet to render the chamber selfclearing in a discharge action, said walls having outwardly offset sill portions bounding said discharge outlet, said sill portions including horizontal seat surfaces projecting outwardly beyond the line of the container body, and a swinging drop bottom adapted to abut against the horizontal seat surfaces of the sill portions to close the bottom outlet and hinged so as to swing to an open position out of the vertical plane of the outlet. I

2. A drop bottom container for container cars comprising a body having a top filling opening, a bottom discharge outlet and a load receivingchamber of progressively increasing internal area between its top and bottom and substantially coextensive in area at its bottom with the discharge outlet, the inner surfaces of the walls of the chamber being substantially smooth and devoid of obstructions between the filling opening and discharge outlet to render the chamber self-clearing in a discharge action, said walls having outwardly offset sill portions bounding said discharge outlet, said sill portions including horizontal seat surfaces extending outwardly beyond the line of the container body, and swinging doors adapted to abut against the horizontal seat surfaces of the sill;portions to close thebottom outlet and hinged at opposite sides of the sill portions to swing to open positions out of the vertical plane of ,the outlet.

.3. A drop bottom container for container cars comprising a body ofprogressively increasing internal area between its top and bottom and having a top filling opening and a bottom discharge opening, the latter coextensive in size with the bottom of the body, reinforcing sill structure embodying sill plates at the bottom of the body having outwardly oifset horizontal portions disposed in the horizontal plane of the outlet, a closure for the top filling opening, and a drop bottom hinged tothe sill structure and adapted to close against the offset horizontal portions thereof.

4. A drop bottom container for container cars comprising a body of progressively increasing internal area between its top and bottom and having a top filling opening and a bottom discharge open ng, the latter coextensive in size with the bottom of the body, a closure for the top filling opening, reinforcing sill structure embodying sill plates at the bottom of the body having outwardly offset horizontal portions disposed in the horizontal plane of the outlet, the sill plates of at least two of the opposite sides of the body being provided with downturned vertical flanges, and drop doors hinged to sa d flanges of the sill plates and adapted to close against the horizontal offset port'ions thereof.

5. A drop bottom container for container cars comprising a container body of oblong rectangular form in plan and embodying side, end and roof walls, said roof wall having a filling opening therein and said side and end walls sloping downward y and outwardly from the roof wall to provide a load receiving chamber progressively increasing in length and width toward the bottom of the body. and defining a bottom discharge opening equal in area to the area of the bottom of the body, a closure for the filling opening, corner posts at the angles of the body, side and end plates at the top of the body extending between the corner posts and secured thereto and to the body walls, side and end sill plates at the bottom of the bodv extending between the corner posts and secured thereto and to the body walls, said sill plates having outwardly extending horizontal flanges, and drop bottom doors hinged to the side sill plates and adapted to close against the outwardly extending horizontal flanges of the side a d end sill plates.

6. A drop bottom container for container cars comprising a container body of oblong rectangular form in plan and embodying side, end and roof walls, said roof wall having a filling opening therein and said side and end walls sloping downwardly and outwardly from the roof wall to pro vide a load receiving chamber progressively increasing in length and width toward the bottom of the body and defining a bottom discharge opening equal in area to the area of the bottom of the body, a closure for the filling opening, corner posts at the angles of the body, side and end plates at the top of the body extending between the corner posts and secured thereto and to the body,

walls, side and endsill plates at the bottom of the body extending between the corner posts and secured thereto and to the body walls, said end sill plates having outwardly extending horizontal flanges, and drop bottomdoors hinged to the side sill plates and adapted to close against the outwarly extending horizontal flanges of the end sill plates.

7. A drop bottom container for container cars comprising a container body of oblong rectangular form-in plan and-embodying side, end and roof walls, said roof wall having a filling opening therein and said side and end walls sloping downwardly and outwardly from the roof wall to provide a load'receiving chamber progressively increasing in length and width toward the bottom of the body and defining a bottom discharge opening equal in area to the area of the bottom of the body, a closure for the top filling opening, corner posts at the anglesof the body, side and end plates at the top of the body extending between the corner posts and secured thereto and t0 the body walls, side and end sill plates at the bottom of the body extending :between the corner posts and secured thereto-and to the body walls, said sill plates having outwardly extending horizontal flanges, drop bottom doors hinged to the side sill plates andadapted to close against the outwardly extending horizontal flanges of the side and end sill plates, cable housings on the outer sides of the end walls of the housings, and controlling cables extending downwardly through said housings and connected to the doors.

8. Adrop vbottomcontainer for container cars having atop filling opening and a bottom dis chargeopening, sill plates extending about the bottom of the container and having outwardly extending horizontal portions terminating in depending vertical flanges forming a door receiving space below the discharge opening, drop doors adapted to bereceived in said space and to close against the horizontal portions of the sill plates, saiddoors being hinged to the vertical flange of the sill plates at two opposite sides of the containerand provided with projections, the vertical flanges of the sill plates at two other sides of the container being provided with cutaway portions through which saidv projections extend in the closed position of the doors, and controlling cables connected to said projections.

9. Adrop bottom container for container cars comprising a body havinga top filling opening, a bottom discharge outlet and a load receiving chamber between said filling opening and discharge outlet, a reinforcing sill structure at the base of the container beneath said outlet, said sill structure having vertical walls and horizontal walls forming a door receiving enclosure of greater dimensions horizontally in all directions than the outlet, the said horizontal walls of the sill structure projectingoutwardly beyond the line of the body of the container, a closure for the top filling inlet, and drop doors hinged to opposed vertical walls of the sill structure and adapted to close upwardly in sealing contact with the horizontal walls of said. sill structure.

' GRAHAM C. WOODRUFF. 

